An air fryer can complement your oven if you often cook portions that fit in its basket and want to avoid turning on your main oven for those meals. A single drawer is suited to cooking one dish at a time; two drawers are useful when you want to cook a main and a side separately. Keep your oven for large dishes, large tins or cooking on several shelves, and consider whether an extra appliance is worth the space it will take up.
If you want to cook, roast or reheat a portion without automatically turning on the oven, a single-drawer model is worth considering. Compare the usable space in the basket, the appliance’s external dimensions and the parts you’ll need to wash after each meal.
Two drawers can be used to cook different parts of the same meal separately. Their usefulness depends on the size of each drawer and whether you can time the cooking so both dishes finish together—not just on the advertised total capacity.
If your oven regularly handles large dishes, large tins or cooking on several shelves, think about which smaller meals you would actually use an air fryer for. How often you’d use it matters just as much as the space needed to store another appliance.
Start with the dishes you cook most often: their size will help you choose between a single drawer, dual drawers, a mini-oven-style model and your existing oven. Then check whether the noise, cleaning and space required will suit your kitchen.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | The basket’s internal dimensions and the load recommended in the manual for the dishes you usually cook; capacity in litres alone doesn’t tell you how much space is available. | To reheat or cook my usual portions, the food and its containers need to fit in the cooking cavity without overcrowding it. Around 31% of consumers would put this compatibility at the top of their list. |
| Cooking two dishes | Whether the cooking zones work independently, the size of each drawer and whether there’s a synchronisation function if both dishes need to finish at the same time. | When I serve a main and a side, I want to be able to set them to cook separately and bring them to the table together. This ability to serve both at once would be the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Everyday use | External dimensions and the clearance needed to open the appliance; fan noise and the parts that need cleaning. | In a small or open-plan kitchen, I want to keep the appliance within easy reach without getting in the way of meal preparation or creating a cleaning chore. For around 25% of consumers, ease of use would come ahead of other criteria. |
| Complementing your oven | The meals you’d regularly cook in the air fryer, and the dishes and multi-shelf cooking you’d still leave to the oven. | My oven already covers most of my recipes, so before adding another appliance, I want to identify the smaller meals I’d use it for regularly. Avoiding a purchase that duplicates what I already have would be the main concern for around 19% of consumers. |
On a dual-drawer model, the drawers may be different sizes. A dish that seems suitable for the total capacity might not fit in either drawer.
Measure your usual cookware and compare it with the internal dimensions and recommended load for each drawer.
Synchronisation can coordinate the end of two programmes, but it doesn’t combine the drawers into one large space. UFC-Que Choisir also notes that cooking results can vary depending on which zone you use.
Choose two drawers for separate dishes; for one large dish, check that a suitable single cavity is big enough or stick with your oven.
Energy use depends on factors including the dish, quantity, cooking time and cavity used. Any advantage when cooking a small portion won’t automatically apply to every meal.
First decide which dishes you would actually cook in the air fryer. Then, to compare energy use, look for measurements based on equivalent quantities and cooking methods.
The fan may be a consideration in an open-plan kitchen. An appliance may fit on your worktop but still get in the way if you haven’t allowed enough space to open it.
Measure the space available, including the clearance needed, and if noise is a deciding factor, check an independent review of the model you’re considering.
The Easy Fry range includes a variety of formats, from compact models to dual-drawer options. It may appeal to consumers who value access to spare parts.
Some Philips models have two baskets of different sizes, a configuration worth considering for cooking a main and a side.
Ninja air fryers feature in tests by UFC-Que Choisir. The brand is worth including when comparing formats, especially if you’re interested in having several cooking zones.
These appliances include single- and dual-drawer formats, as well as a model with containers. Compare the space they offer for the portions you want to cook without turning on the oven, while keeping it for dishes that won’t fit in their cooking cavity.
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Worth considering if you cook two foods separately for the same meal. The model name lists six functions; check that each drawer has enough room for your portions and that you have the clearance needed to open them.
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Worth considering if you want to cook a main separately from its side. The 9 L refers to the advertised total capacity, so compare the shape and dimensions of each basket with the dishes you usually make.
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Worth considering if a container-based format suits the portions you prepare better. Check the usable dimensions of the containers before planning your meals, and don’t mistake having several containers for being able to cook two dishes independently at the same time.
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If you’d like to cook some meals without using the oven, compare its advertised 7,6 L capacity with the size of your dishes. Also check the appliance’s dimensions and the recommended load in the manual before choosing where to put it.
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Worth considering for small portions in a single basket, as long as your dishes fit. The product name lists a 60 min timer and a dishwasher-safe basket; measure the space available on your worktop.
No. An air fryer is best suited to dishes and quantities that fit in its cooking cavity. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the quantity limits for some foods, so keep your oven for large dishes, large tins or cooking on several shelves.
Yes, provided each dish fits in its drawer and the available settings suit your recipes. A synchronisation function can coordinate the end of the programmes, but it doesn’t guarantee that the drawers are the same size or that the cooking results will be identical.
It can mean less washing up by hand, but the basket may not be the only part that needs cleaning. Check which parts are removable and what the manual says about cleaning the walls and non-removable parts.
In France, the legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a professional to an individual, according to the Ministry of the Economy. If the appliance is faulty or doesn’t match the seller’s description, contact the seller to have your claim assessed under this guarantee; a commercial returns policy is separate from this right.
Follow the instructions for your model and stop using the appliance if it’s damaged. Don’t handle it with wet hands or attempt to modify its electrical components: INRS warns that appliances powered by domestic sockets can pose electrical risks.